MA Musicology
Whether as a stand-alone degree or a stepping stone towards MLitt and PhD research degrees, the MA in Musicology offers you the opportunity to develop as a researcher, deepen your critical and communication abilities, and apply these skills to the study of music history, music and culture, and analysis. The programme is delivered by staff with strong international research reputations, active as scholars, performers, and composers. Their diverse expertise includes areas such as: music and film; opera studies; source studies; European art music in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries; music in Ireland; ethnomusicology; popular music; music, gender, and sexuality; analysis; and more. Beyond the modules, seminars, and showcase outlined in the Course Structure, MA in Musicology students may also attend conferences, concerts, and other events that Music Department staff regularly organise. Students also benefit from a first-rate library, access to the University's language courses, and close proximity to Dublin, enabling access to a further range of research libraries and archives.
The MA in Musicology degree offers students with strengths in musicology and/or analysis the opportunity to develop their knowledge of historical musicology and their critical and research skills. The course provides a solid foundation for students wishing to register for an MLitt or PhD research degree in future years.
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The Department of Music at Maynooth University is renowned for its long and proud tradition of composition, musicology, performance and music technology, immersing students in a vibrant, challenging and creative educational environment. Students will encounter multiple ways of engaging with music: in rehearsals, in concerts, in seminars and in the music studios. Performance experience is offered in a range of professionally directed music ensembles, including the Maynooth University Orchestra, the Guitar Ensemble, the Traditional Group, the Choral Society and the Chamber Choir. Students with a passion for the creation and performance of a whole range of music styles will find the space and the academic support to build their professional skills as musicians and music creators. Composers will find a stimulating and supportive environment amidst the vibrant performance and academic activities in the Department. The focus here is on individual tuition from internationally recognised composers with access to opportunities for collaboration with other musicians in the Department. Musicologists, too, will find a supportive environment; seminars bring leading researchers from around the world, and in the university library, students have access to one of the best-stocked music collections in Ireland. With a combination of expert staff and tailor-made resources, the Department of Music offers a learning experience that builds confidence and develops the techniques and experience needed for careers in research, scholarship, the performance and creation of music, the music industry, the arts and culture sector and many other fields.